Necessary words for a logophile living the bookish life — If you’re reading this, then I’m betting you already know the definition of logophile. But do you know these 23 additional words describing the bookish life? You probably already know that a bibliophile is a lover of books, but did you know that a lectiophile is a lover of reading…

I was inspired by this book — Have you ever felt stuck? Really stuck in a rut? “I feel like too many days pass without me even noticing, just this endless cycle of housework and cooking and errands.” I recently found these words on a post-it note stuck inside the front cover of a book. It’s my…

An introspective introvert talks about anxiety, beaches, parenting, neurodiversity, and her love of books and writing — Hello, I’m Sarah! I’d like to tell you about myself in the hopes of finding community and connecting with others. But it’s harder than it seems. I’ve made so many false starts in writing this. “I contain multitudes.” — Walt Whitman Writing a story “About Me” becomes as much a…

Can we forge connections using shared dreams? — I think it’s fascinating that people from all walks of life experience the same dreams. How wild is that? There’s something elemental about the human psyche and the human experience that leads our subconscious to visualize the same dreams. It almost gives me hope that humanity is not as divided…

It’s an unfair misconception that autistic kids don’t feel empathy — Cinematography and Oxytocin Do you cry at movies? I do. All the time. Books, too. It doesn’t even matter if I’m in public. I let the tears fall. There’s some evidence that people who cry at movies and books are more empathetic. Paul Zak, the neuroscientist who coined the phrase “moral molecule,” showed…

For the first time ever, I’m just not feeling my birthday — It’s my birthday today. They say you’re only as old as you feel. I feel every bit as old and tired as my 44 years. I’ve got mysterious aches and pains, and I don’t know how much of it is stress-related and how much of it is age-related. …

Marketing experts say an ideal reader profile is necessary for authors, but I’m not convinced — I watched an old episode of New Girl recently where Nick, an author of a detective novel, told Jess that he envisioned his readers as “blue-collar, nautical workers on the coastline of Maine.” He was comically way off. Turns out his book was beloved by a female YA audience. How…

On Mental Health and Vulnerability as a Writer — Sometimes stress hits me like a wave full in the face with a choking mouthful of saltwater. I can’t write when I feel like that. I can’t even read on those days. That’s how I felt at the start of this daunting school year. …

A tug-of-war between a writer and a housewife — It’s a balancing act. I was a stay-at-home mother, a long-time scribbler and storyteller. But I wanted to be more intentional about my writing. Could I turn my hobby into something more? Yes, I could. It would be tricky though. I once heard a writer speak abut how she wrote…